How To: Use Essential Oils To Overcome Insomnia

September 22, 2015

Insomnia can be caused by many things including indigestion, stress, alcohol and an excess of caffeine. As for underlying factors, don’t forget anxiety, or an inability to calm your ‘restless mind’. The more relaxing essential oils can help to calm your mind and help you sleep, particularly if you also cut down on caffeine and alcohol.

Suggested Essential Oils For Insomnia
These essential oils are believed to help in the treatment of insomnia:

How To Use Them
Whether working with one essential oil or a blend, there are several ways to administer them. It doesn’t matter whether you prefer to massage the oils into your skin, diffuse them throughout the room, or keep them on hand so that you can choose when to inhale them. The most important thing is to select an approach that works for you. Here are five ways to harness the power of essential oils for better sleep:

Incense: Whether you use frankincense, which has been popular for centuries, or just incense sticks or cones, burning them in a safe, fire-proof container releases the aromas into the room. Light them 30 minutes or less before you sleep so that the fragrance fills the room and helps you drift off.
Diffuser: Reeds inserted into a bottle or jar filled with the essential oil mixture disperse the aroma into the air at a slow, steady pace through the day. Keep one in your room and top it up every time the mixture levels drop. This should create an atmosphere conducive to snoozing.
Spray: A simple, plastic bottle with a nozzle that can be adjusted to mist, spray or squirt liquids. Fill one of these with a blend of your favorite essential oil and some alcohol as well as distilled water. Shake it vigorously before spraying some lightly onto your pillow and a bit on your sheets before sleeping.
Sachets: Try keeping little sachets of lavender flowers and seeds, chamomile flowers, sandalwood shavings, or dried rose petals, in your bedroom, especially near your pillow.
Bath Salts: Composed mainly of Epsom salts aka magnesium sulfate, they are a great way to use essential oils to induce deep, restful sleep. Simply douse the salts with the oils, mix well and store in a glass jar in a cool, dark and dry place. Add a small scoop or handful of them to your bathwater just before slipping in. Bathing just before sleeping will ensure that you relax completely, which will ensure that your slumber is the quality kind and beneficial in the long run.